In the twenty-fifth iteration of our list of best new restaurants—and my first as Texas Monthly’s dining critic—these ten selections stood out because they dared to be opinionated, bizarre, dazzling, even fun. Last year my predecessor, Patricia Sharpe, and senior editor Courtney Bond celebrated restaurants with imagination. This year, I’m championing audacity.
A good restaurant will serve you a nicely cooked steak; a great restaurant will offer you chicken tenders brilliantly brined in fermented peppers and dill, fried, then drizzled with a toffee-like sauce and sub-sandwich dressing, as Rainbowcat, in Dallas, does. Risky, messing with a children’s-menu classic like that, but Rainbowcat’s version is triumphant. Experimentation is the common denominator among the restaurants on this list. (And yes, some of them even serve nicely cooked steaks.)
The past year has been a lackluster one for Texas restaurants. Openings in 2025 seemed focused on delivering tried-and-true crowd-pleasers: French food, steakhouse fare, endless riffs on dirty martinis. I adore a dirty martini, but after my twentieth one in as many weeks, I began to feel a bit pickled. But I get it. Restaurateurs felt uncertain about the year’s economic and political climates, which made them cautious and made investors less willing to plunk down cash for anything that wasn’t a sure bet.
Texans have been struggling, too, to keep up with the increasing cost of a decent meal out. (The magazine pays for the meals I review, but some of the checks delivered to my table still blew my hair back.) Restaurant experiences that feel truly worth it, that have the power to wow, are hard to come by. But they’re out there.
I found them in a playful Asian American–Texan diner, an omakase counter that brings a sense of humor to serious sushi, and a cozy French bistro livening up northeast Texas. Houston leads this year’s class with four entries, fitting for an eclectic city that revels in diverse cuisines. It was a big year for Dallas as well, whose three representatives here are among the many ambitious openings that had me traveling there more than I did to any other city.
To be eligible for this list, the restaurant must have opened before November. (Restaurants debuting between November 1, 2025, and November 1, 2026, will be eligible for next year’s ranking.)
Hungry—and intrigued—yet? Here’s where you should be eating this year.
Brunch dishes at Agnes and Sherman, including Rangoon krab dip.Photograph by Mackenzie Smithrestaurant of the yearAgnes and ShermanHouston
A multicultural diner that’s an ode to Space City.
When I reviewed Agnes and Sherman for the October 2025 issue, I gave it three stars. Today I would give it four, because in my visits since, in addition to expanding to include lunch and brunch, the Asian American diner has incorporated even more of the various cuisines that immigrants have brought to Houston.
Alongside Chinese-inflected dishes, such as waffles that are imbued with the flavor of scallion pancakes, Agnes and Sherman offers a French dip sandwich stuffed with rich shaved beef and pickled mustard greens to dunk into a warmly spiced Taiwanese beef broth, a Mexican-style shrimp cocktail served with Thai-style sauce, and a dainty breakfast sandwich built on an ethereally fluffy square of soufflé.
Chef Nick Wong, formerly of New York’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar and Houston’s UB Preserv, is clearly having a ball in the kitchen. For example: A dish called Rangoon, an imitation-crab dip served with wonton chips and pepper jelly, combines the fried Chinese American appetizer with a Texas mom’s potluck contribution. This is what makes Agnes and Sherman, named for Wong’s parents, enchanting. Wong respects the cuisines he riffs on but is not afraid to contort them. The combinations are irresistible.
It helps that the space—dressed up with red-leather booths and pieces by Asian American artists—manages to be warm and stylish at the same time. Add a killer soundtrack, including hip-hop from the eighties and nineties, and an inventive cocktail menu that includes a drink made with the Chinese herbal cough syrup Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, and you’ve got my restaurant of the year. Houston, and all of Texas, is lucky that it’s here.
Opened April 17, 2025
250 W. Nineteenth
713-965-6088
L Wed–Fri. D Wed–Sun. Brunch Sat–Sun.
The polished yet comfy interior of BonFire. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith 
Digging into the apple crostada at BonFire. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
BonFireParis
A town called Paris deserves a great French restaurant.
I’ve never seen more pairs of fancy cowboy boots in one place than I saw at BonFire, just off Paris’s historic square. The northeast Texas town, in the blackland prairie, has a population of 25,000 or so. This French-meets-Texan restaurant is where locals go to wine, dine, see, be seen, and eat lacy, crisp frites and wood-fired steaks. One diner at the bar told me she’s pretty sure it’s the only place in the area where you can order steak tartare. While it’s not all that far from Dallas, where there’s elegant food aplenty, our state’s Parisians sure do seem to appreciate having more convenient access to whole-grilled Gulf red snapper dressed with pecan meunière. The dining room features jewel-toned stained glass, luxurious leather booths, and a glowing pressed-metal ceiling. The menu, by chef Patten Sommers, changes to reflect what’s in season in this fertile corner of the state. If BonFire, which is just blocks away from the renowned Paris Bakery, can succeed in Paris, it could inspire other high-caliber restaurants to open here. In the meantime, it’s the best spot for a night out in this region.
Opened July 5, 2025
136 Clarksville
903-900-7750
D Wed–Sat. Brunch Sun.
Oysters with green ponzu and trout roe at Zaranda.Photograph by Daniela LoeraZarandaHouston
One foot on each side of the (California) border.
Hugo Ortega, who has worked in Texas’s hospitality industry since the eighties, has become a state treasure, operating lauded Houston restaurants such as Hugo’s and Xochi. His latest, an ode to the western coasts of both the U.S. and Mexico, takes its name from the wire basket used to cook pescado zarandeado, a chile-rubbed grilled-fish dish from Baja California. A baked giant clam and tomato dip called almejas brujas (“witch clams”), smothered in gooey melted cheese, is an indulgent place to start, along with ponzu-and-trout-roe-topped oysters. You’d be remiss to not order the namesake dish—you can choose fish, but octopus, lobster, and shrimp are also options to be grilled in the traditional zaranda—at least once.
Opened October 17, 2025
1550 Lamar
713-485-0652
L & D Mon–Sat
Chef Hugo Ortega. Photograph by Daniela Loera 
Pescado zarandeado with a salsa trio. Photograph by Daniela Loera
Three Things I Learned in My First Year as a Dining Critic
1. Pull over at the in-between places.
I stopped in many suburbs and small towns to take breaks or, on longer trips, to stock up on provisions. I was especially drawn to interstate-adjacent kolache shops, where I could purchase half a dozen pastries for all my breakfasts, and roadside taquerias that sold by-the-pound carnitas, ideal for lunches. I also went to more Buc-ee’s locations last year than in the previous twenty combined.
2. Turn driving time into a learning experience.
I listened to Texas history books while behind the wheel. I completed Stephen Harrigan’s nearly one-thousand-page tome, Big Wonderful Thing, and listened to the Texas Monthly contributor’s descriptions of certain places as I drove through them.
3. Get to know each city’s personality.
As a bartender told me, “This is Fort Worth: All the steakhouses are good.” I also learned that San Antonians love natural wine and that Dallasites cannot resist an Instagrammable moment.
Halibut crudo at Fish Shop. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith 
Prepping fresh oysters at Fish Shop. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
Fish ShopAustin
Bringing you a step closer to the Pacific Ocean.
Austin has welcomed many Californians in recent years, but thankfully at least one of them has brought us West Coast seafood. Chef Justin Huffman sources his restaurant’s saltwater bounty from his home state, resulting in a wide array of cold-bar options, such as Dungeness crab cocktail and halibut crudo, as well as cooked offerings like classic fish and chips made with Pacific rockfish. Huffman isn’t a new transplant, however, and he has worked in prized Austin establishments for years. (He met wife and co-owner Nicole Rossi while cooking at the French brasserie Justine’s.) Accordingly, Gulf seafood shines on the menu as well—of particular note are oysters called Little Savages. They’re farmed specifically for the restaurant. And Huffman knows how to make a spectacular Wagyu burger for when you want to feel a little more landlocked.
Opened July 25, 2025
1401 E. Sixth
512-650-3474
L Mon–Fri. D 7 days.
Late-night bites at Rainbowcat, including a Philly-cheesesteak corn dog and smoked-pepper sausage over garlic sticky crispy rice.Photograph by Mackenzie SmithRainbowcatDallas
Junk food from a world-class chef.
Misti Norris cooks like some kind of genius space alien. Her food doesn’t make any sense if you’re just looking at the ingredients on the menu: chicken tenders, cheese-amino toffee, and submarine sauce? But when you take a bite, her vision becomes clear. The crunchy strips of poultry are vinegary, salty, and a little sweet. A slice of porchetta cured in a sake by-product called kasu serves as the base for a “McMuffin” topped with braised greens, pickled radish, and a fried egg—a hangover breakfast made classy. The Bowl of Cereal dessert is so much more than what its name implies: A homemade version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch is served with whipped milk and sour-apple salted caramel. I loved Norris’s more formal Dallas restaurant, Petra and the Beast, and mourned its closure in January 2025, but Rainbowcat, located at the West Texas–inspired Saint Valentine bar, lets her have more fun.
Opened June 26, 2025
4800 Bryan
214-484-8140
Late night Tue. D and late night Wed–Sun.
Bread with Rodolphe Le Meunier butter at Mamani. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith 
Chefs at work at Mamani. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
MamaniDallas
Star quality that already has an award to match.
Mamani earned a Michelin star mere weeks after it opened. Shock rippled through the food world, but the restaurant seems purpose-built for this kind of accolade. The staff, helmed by Christophe De Lellis, the former chef of the Michelin-caliber Joël Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas, has a ludicrously impressive pedigree, and the sumptuous interior is selfie-ready. But Mamani is more than just a looker—the French and Italian food (with a nod to Persian cooking) is equally exquisite. Go for the veal tonnato, thinly sliced cold veal topped with mustard seeds, capers, and foamy clouds of tuna sauce, or the signature whole duck prepared “the Mamani way,” a master class in perfectly crisped and rendered duck. And trust in the wine list, an ever-changing superstar lineup of bottles from France, Italy, California, and the Southern Hemisphere, all served in wine glasses made exclusively for the restaurant.
Opened September 2, 2025
2681 Howell
469-455-1435
D 7 days
Chef Hung Van Tran. Photograph by Daniela Loera 
The house-special chicken pho with dark and white meat, gizzards, and liver at Đi Ăn Pho. Photograph by Daniela Loera
Di An PhoHouston
Who needs a giant menu when you’ve perfected one dish?
At age seventy, chef Hung Van Tran came out of retirement to open a restaurant that serves only two main dishes: beef pho and chicken pho. That’s it, plus gỏi cuốn, or spring rolls, and beverages including Vietnamese coffee and a salted plum drink. What more do you need? When the pho is this good, the answer is nothing. Both broths manage to be intensely rich and fragrant with cilantro and scallions without being overwhelming, the beef meatballs are exactly the right degree of bouncy, and slivers of ribeye practically melt in the steaming liquid. As for chicken, you can have your pick of organs (such as gizzard, liver, and heart), but I like a mix of sliced, tender, skin-on white and dark meat. You’ll be served the requisite condiments—a caddy of hoisin sauce, sriracha, and fish sauce, along with a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeño slices—but try a spoonful of the steaming liquid first to see if you truly need them. It’s a bold move to open a restaurant with such a limited menu in a city with so many Vietnamese options, but it speaks to Tran’s trust in his product, and that confidence is earned.
Opened July 5, 2025
12934 Bellaire Blvd
281-896-0002
L & D Wed–Mon
Petit Coquin’s simple interior. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith 
Braised leeks with egg at Petit Coquin. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
Petit CoquinSan Antonio
Simple French food made impeccably and served casually.
Of the three French restaurants on this list, Petit Coquin, in San Antonio’s Southtown neighborhood, is my favorite, with its streamlined prix fixe menu and laissez-faire atmosphere. With no need for decision-making, you can truly take in French food the way it’s meant to be enjoyed: at a leisurely pace, with lots of good wine. The food at Petit Coquin appears simple on the surface. Country pâté, steak au poivre, and rice pudding—haven’t you seen these before? But one bite will tell you that chef Max Mackinnon, whose impeccable résumé includes New York City restaurants Roberta’s and Libertine, has put a degree of thought into his techniques that belies their straightforwardness. San Antonians have noticed and regularly turn the small dining room into a party.
Opened February 12, 2025
1012 S. Presa
no phone
L Fri. D Thur–Sun.
Lively dinner hours at Latuli.Photograph by Daniela LoeraLatuliHouston
A victory lap for a chef who has earned it.
“I think you know my dad!” declared the sassy eleven-year-old boy who came to refill my table’s water. “Depends,” I responded. “Who’s your dad?” It turned out he was none other than veteran Houston chef Bryan Caswell, who, after taking a break from operating other restaurants (Reef and Stella Sola, to name two), opened Latuli in the Memorial neighborhood. “It’s my autobiography on a menu,” Caswell told me, and nothing says that more than his kid chatting up guests. His greatest hits include a crab-packed crab cake (served with spicy sorghum mustard), a pecan-smoked pork chop, and Shiner-steamed mussels, all inspired by his previous kitchens. The restaurant is well-appointed with dazzling art (including two signed Picassos) owned by Caswell’s business partner, Allison Knight. But at a Caswell spot, the focus is always going to be where it should be: on the food.
Opened May 27, 2025
8900 Gaylord Dr
832-241-6144
L & D 7 days
Chef Paul Ko. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith 
Temaki with bluefin tuna tartare. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
Sushi KozyDallas
Where we fell back in love with omakase.
I felt deeply weary of omakase restaurants, which specialize in the Japanese style of service where the chef curates specific dishes in a multicourse meal, after a slew of uninspired openings in recent years. But Sushi Kozy, in the Arts District, reminded me how enjoyable they can be. Korea-born chef Paul Ko, formerly of Uchi Dallas, greeted me with a grin and wave from the sushi counter. His seventeen-course offering incorporates a collection of amuse-bouches, which on my visit included a Japanese-curry-filled fritter and a half-dollar-size scallop yuzu tartlet in a shell of candied kiwi. The contrast there—puckish opening volleys followed by intensely traditional, expertly executed nigiri—is the magic of Sushi Kozy. It’s a good reminder that you can be very earnest about your craft, but you don’t have to be solemn about it. Hopefully it’s an approach we’ll see more of in 2026.
Opened June 21, 2025
2000 Ross Ave
214-452-2777
D Tue–Sun
Sushi Kozy’s golden glow. Photograph by Mackenzie SmithBut Make It Texan 
Whole Gulf Red Snapper at BonFire, Paris
A treasure from Texas’s waters is used here instead of the traditional sole.
Beef Fajita Chow Fun at Agnes and Sherman, Houston
Though it doesn’t come to your table on a sizzling platter, the Tex-Mex meat spices up this Chinese American classic.
Smoked Oxtail Philly-Cheesesteak Corndog at Rainbowcat, Dallas
It may name-check Philadelphia, but this cheese-stuffed snack also nods to the State Fair of Texas’s famous corny dog.
Shiner Bock Mussels at Latuli, Houston
These mollusks are bathed in the famed amber lager from Spoetzl Brewery.
The Greatest Ranch Water Ever Sold at Zaranda, Houston
The simple West Texas cocktail gets some fancy additions, such as bergamot liqueur and cold-pressed citrus syrup.
This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Where to Eat Now.” Subscribe today.
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